Spring Equinox – Vernal Equinox

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Watch the sun move across the sky.

• Northern Hemisphere: (USA, Central America, Canada, Europe, Asia, northern Africa)

  March equinox 2013:             March 20, at 11:02 UTC.
  
  

• Southern Hemisphere: (Australia, New Zealand, South America, Southern Africa)

  September equinox 2012:    September 22, at 14:49 UTC.

Opposite seasons

When is the Spring Equinox in my city?

Equinoxes are opposite on either side of the equator, so the spring equinox (vernal equinox) in the northern hemisphere is the autumnal (fall) equinox in the southern hemisphere and vice versa.

Why is it called "Equinox"?

On the two equinoxes every year the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal – but not quite.

First day of spring?

In the USA and some other areas in the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox marks the first day of spring. However, the official date for the first day of spring varies depending on the country's climate.